


Go The Fuck to Sleep Julian

by twilightstarr



Series: Building New Memories [1]
Category: The Arcana (Visual Novel)
Genre: Dom/sub Undertones, Domming your partner into self care, Fluff, Getting Together, No sex here though, Nonbinary Apprentice (The Arcana), Other, POV Third Person, Pre-Canon, Sharing a Bed, Suggestive Dialogue, Swearing, master/apprentice relationship, mentions of the plague
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-22
Updated: 2020-06-22
Packaged: 2021-03-03 20:47:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,223
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24761818
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/twilightstarr/pseuds/twilightstarr
Summary: Julian's apprentice makes him go to bed.
Relationships: Apprentice/Julian Devorak
Series: Building New Memories [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1798564
Kudos: 40





	Go The Fuck to Sleep Julian

Julian was surprised that Amaranth was still at the clinic when he made it back late that night, though unsurprised when he realized they were asleep on the floor next to Brundle, with a few books around them, one of which had become a pillow. Everything else looked tidy, and knowing them, they'd already checked on the leeches, leaving them with nothing better to do than study while he was out on house calls. 

After removing the mask, coat, and gloves, Julian knelt beside them. "Amaranth."

They picked their head up and blinked sleepily at him. Brundle didn't so much as stir. "Hey." 

"Let's get you home. I'll walk with you. Or I could carry you." Was that a weird thing to suggest? "I mean, if you'd like, that is, since you look so tired." 

"And then you'll go to sleep too?" 

"I need to write down some observations, but then, yes." 

Amaranth was never too tired to eye him skeptically, it seemed. "I'll turn in when you do, _master_." 

"You were literally passed out on the floor, _apprentice_." 

"No I wasn't. I was just taking an eye break," they insisted, smoothing out the page they'd slept on and summoning a light to their hand. "Take your notes. I'll keep taking mine." 

Their stubbornness was remarkable, but Julian doubted they'd last. Amaranth was not a night person. "Alright, alright, but the second your head falls again, I _will_ insist." 

They didn't look impressed, but then, they never did. Any deference Amaranth had had toward their 'master', a title only bestowed in irony, had dissolved some time ago when they'd realized what an awkward mess he actually was. Julian found he didn't mind though, as he didn't care for faking a sense of authority, and Amaranth never took advantage of his lack of it--at least, not to get out of helping him. On the contrary, it was usually for the sake of helping him when they challenged him, as his friend more than his apprentice. 

To be fair, he had been rather groggy this morning after sleeping poorly, and then would have gone out without half the things he'd meant to bring if not for Amaranth reminding him. He couldn't really blame them for being concerned. 

Julian wasn't sure how he'd ever managed without them. 

He lit a candle and sat at his desk and wrote, glancing periodically at Amaranth staring down what he suspected was still the same page, with their head slowly falling further into their fist, light slowly dimming. 

And yet, when they finally got irritable enough to ask, "Are you done yet?" it startled him. 

"Um…" 

They got up with a groan and marched over, light flaring back to its original brightness in one hand, the other thumping onto the desk just beside him. "You finished the observations, didn't you?" 

"Well, uh, yes. I had an idea though! If we were to… actually no, that wouldn't work either," he confessed sheepishly, crossing out a couple lines. 

He could feel the glare down on him as they let out a frustrated breath. "You said you'd go to sleep." 

"I know. I'm sorry. I just hate not knowing how to fix this illness." 

"You're no good to anyone if you don't keep _yourself_ in good health." 

"I…" There was no arguing with that brutal truth. He of all people would be expected to know the medical effects of neglecting basic needs. "I'll go to bed soon. You really should go home. I don't want you suffering for my sake." 

"Am I going to have to drag you?" 

He couldn't help a smirk at the thought. Surely, in such a state, they hadn't considered the implications of dragging someone to bed. "Oh? Now that sounds fun," he teased, looking up. 

Initially, Julian had held back on flirtatious humor, given their positions, not wanting to come off as threatening. By now though, things had become so casual between them, and he'd grown so very fond of them, that he was letting his playful side out more, having no doubt that Amaranth would put a stop to anything they didn't like. If there was to be a power dynamic here, Julian certainly wasn't going to be the 'master' of it. So far they didn't seem to mind, sometimes bantering back. He wasn't sure if they'd actually caught on to how he felt yet though. 

Either it still didn't click, or Amaranth was beyond being amused as they took his arm. The look of dead serious caring they fixed Julian with made his heart race. They didn't pull that hard. Not only was Amaranth fatigued, but they were quite small--very carryable and spoonable. He could have easily escaped if he really wanted to, and yet he blew out the candle as he found his limbs complying to being led to the stairs. 

Amaranth stopped and gripped harder as he nearly stumbled on the steps, perhaps because he was more tired than he cared to admit, or perhaps because his insides were fluttering, or perhaps both. "Sorry," he mumbled. 

Amaranth led more slowly after that and gave him a little more light, yet Julian still managed to fumble once more. It seemed the harder he tried not to prove them right that he needed sleep, the more unsteady he became. 

"You know, I could just go back to my desk after you leave," he pointed out when they reached the second floor. 

It seemed Amaranth hadn't thought of that, and for a moment they stood there, letting the light hang between them, trying to think of a way they could ensure Julian stayed in bed. Coming up with nothing better, they resorted to crossing their arms and glaring up at him with all the tired grumpy dominance they could muster. "No." 

"Um, well--" 

"Go the fuck to sleep Julian." 

"If you want to make sure I don't _misbehave_ , you could…" Was he really brave enough to do this? He realized Amaranth was actually waiting for him to finish now. Too late to back out. "Stay with me," he suggested, barely more than a whisper. 

"You want me to sleep with you?" 

"Yes, uh, in a literal sense, to clarify. Not that I'd be against the figurative sense, I mean, I… I like you, but that wouldn't be happening now, obviously, or ever, if you don't want to, and I won't bring up my feelings ever again if you don't want me to, I promise, and…" This was coming out as an absolute disaster. There was no way they were going to take him. "You know what? Forget I said anything. Goodnight, Amaranth." 

Before he could flee to bed, a sudden plunge into complete darkness made him pause, and then Amaranth grabbed him again, this time around the waist, head slumping into his chest. "I wanna stay," they mumbled. 

"Oh. Um. Really?" 

"Mhm." Their weight started drooping onto him. 

"I suppose it beats walking home at this point, doesn't it?" he chuckled nervously. 

"And cause I like you too." 

There was no way they didn't feel the way his heart jumped as he squeezed them back. "Oh, uh... May I kiss you?" were the first coherent words he found. 

"Bed first." 

"Oh, right, of course! Come on." 

Suddenly he was the one eagerly leading the way.


End file.
